


A Star in a Crystal

by not_rude_ginger



Series: The Andorian Tales [8]
Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-17 04:57:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13069602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/not_rude_ginger/pseuds/not_rude_ginger
Summary: Shran just wants to sleep. Telev only needs one answer before he will let him.





	A Star in a Crystal

**Author's Note:**

> "A glittering cavern" from 500 prompts with [Shran/Telev] -- a romantic interlude as boys for hearts_blood

Thy’lek was sleeping soundly for once. Telev smiled to himself as he stroked the soft fur on Thy’lek’s head, enjoying the way he was so relaxed under his hand. The thaan slept so badly usually it was a rare pleasure to see him resting, and Telev felt a sense of pride because he knew it was because of him tonight. Thy'lek’s head was pillowed in his lap, hand curled around Telev’s knee.

Telev glanced up to check on the other Primaries in their Travelling Collaboration. They were all either asleep, playing in some manner, or keeping watch. Smiling Telev tilted his head back and admired the softly glowing sky, silvery green filled with burning stars. He loved looking at the stars, they were warm and he fantasised about holding one in his hands, bringing its warmth and beauty close to his face. He would give it to Thy’lek as a gift, offer it to his playmate in gratitude for his faith, for his guidance… for his love.

‘That’s a pretty dream.’

Telev looked down, smiling crookedly as he saw Thy'lek’s lips curve upwards in a smile, even as he kept his eyes closed.

‘I’m sorry, I did not mean to broadcast it to you.’ He forgot that Thy'lek could sense more than just a collaborative bond from those whom he guided, often he seemed to leave a piece of himself with them to lend support, which kept them tied to him. And yet, he never seemed diminished.  

‘It’s all right…’ Thy'lek’s voice was sleepy still, and he was probably on the verge of slipping away. ‘I liked it.’

Telev lightly brushed Thy'lek’s left antennae, ‘If I gave you a star, what would you do with it?’

‘Hmmm…’ Thy'lek rolled over so he was facing Telev, peering up at him sleepily through his eyelashes. ‘I think I would have it encased in crystal. Then I would take it to a diamond cave, you know them?’

Telev nodded; diamond caves were one of the most beautiful natural phenomena on Andoria.

‘I would set it in the middle of the cave and it would shine through the crystal, both as white light and prism light and reflect in the diamonds, breaking and reforming over and over until the cave was filled with colour. I think it would be very beautiful.’

‘Then what would you do?’ asked Telev softly. He loved listening to Thy’lek talk, his strong voice, whether in speech or in song, was one of his favourite sounds in life. It filled him with warmth and pleasure.

‘I think I would lie you on a fur blanket and enter you very slowly… you know, the way you like it.’

Telev swallowed and bent his antennae in agreement. He liked the teasingly slow way Thy'lek entered him, even if it drove him mad at the same time.

‘Would I be on my front, or my back?’

‘Oh, on your back of course. I’d want to see the lights in the cave in your eyes when I looked down at you.’

‘Your head would be in the way.’

‘Wouldn’t matter, if you can give me a star, I can see a cave full of colour in your eyes. I like your eyes.’

‘Do you? They aren’t exactly rare brown, like yours.’

‘So?’ Thy'lek, now fully awake, sat up and looked straight into Telev’s eyes, his playful smirk making Telev’s blood start to pound through him. ‘Your eyes are probably my favourite of anyone I know. They’re big and bright, the soft green-blue is vivid and beautiful against your skin.’ Thy'lek leaned close and pressed his lips to one of Telev’s eyelids, and then the other, then he dropped his lips to Telev’s and they kissed lazily for a few moments. Then Thy'lek pulled back and said in a soft voice, ‘Your eyes are like the gas giant when the sunlight hits it just right, warm and beautiful… and you know how much I love the sun.’

Telev nodded, unable to speak, barely able to moan when Thy'lek kissed his neck lightly. Then Thy'lek climbed onto Telev’s lap, rested his head on Telev’s chest and relaxed, humming for a moment, then singing quietly,

‘From my eyes I offer the truth,

Look inside them and see inside me.

I am an Andorian, see it in my colour.

But look into my eyes, and see that I am me.

I am what I offer. It is all I have, all I can be.

From my eyes judge me.’

Telev rubbed his chin against the side of Thy’lek’s head. ‘What do you judge from my eyes?’

Thy'lek’s breath was hot on his neck when he chuckled, ‘I should have known you’d ask me that.’

‘Well?’

‘Telev, I made that judgement three years ago, the day we met, remember?’

Telev remembered being very nervous of approaching Thy'lek, who had seemed so impressive, even at the young age of fourteen. He also remembered how intense his emotions had been during their first glowing together, almost frightening.

‘And what did you decide?’

Thy'lek smiled against his skin, ‘I decided you were beautiful… in every way possible and I would not let you be a once off playmate.’

Telev flushed and wrapped an arm around him, ‘Oh. Is that all?’

‘Mmhm. Can I go back to sleep now?’

‘Don’t you want to know what I judged from your eyes?’

‘Nothing good I reckon, so not really.’

Telev laughed quietly and leaned back, catching Thy’lek’s head so he was blinking sleepily up at him, supported in Telev’s other arm. Telev stared down into his rare brown eyes, and stroked his thumb over Thy’lek’s cheekbone. Thy'lek let out a sleepy sigh and his eyes drifted shut. Telev smiled affectionately,

‘Open your eyes Thy'lek.’

Thy'lek ignored him and wriggled closer to Telev, determined apparently to go back to sleep. Telev’s antennae spread wide as he laughed and let his hand slide down from Thy'lek’s cheek, down his chest to cup him between his legs. Thy'lek jumped and his eyes popped open.

‘There we are.’ Telev smirked, gently rubbing him through his trousers.

‘Uh…’ Thy'lek squirmed a little, but his eyes stayed open, meeting Telev’s. ‘Not fair!’

‘Hush. Let me judge you.’

Thy'lek let out a soft noise of frustration, ‘Fine. But hurry. I’m either going to fall asleep again or you’re about to end up on your back.’

‘But we’re not in a cave full of lights.’ Telev teased, using the heel of his hand to make slow circles against Thy'lek’s groin. Thy'lek hissed and his hips moved a little to push into Telev’s hand.

‘Maybe not, but we’re under all the stars in the sky, and they’d be just as beautiful reflected in your eyes.’

Telev’s smile shifted to become full of affection for this thaan. It felt strange to have him in his arms like this, because normally they would be reversed. It felt like he was looking after Thy'lek for once and Telev was surprised to find it made him feel very warm inside.

‘Do you want to know what I judge?’

‘If it’ll get me off this precipice, then yes!’

‘I judge… that you trust me to look after you.’

Thy'lek’s face seemed to freeze, then clear of all emotion as he stared up at Telev, shocked. His antennae bent forward and he stared up at Telev hard. Then he gave the tiniest smile and sighed,

‘I suppose I do.’

Telev bent his head and brush their lips together. His hand left Thy'lek’s groin and cupped his neck as he kissed him, pushing as much of himself into the kiss as he could. Thy'lek did not protest the removal of his hand, and he opened his mouth, opened himself to Telev. Telev wanted to devour him, take him completely into himself… but he just pulled back slowly, lingering at the final parting of their lips before breaking the kiss. Thy'lek smiled up at him, open, content and so utterly vulnerable it was rather frightening. Telev could see everything in Thy'lek’s eyes, the love and trust he felt for him, and it almost overwhelmed him.

Then Thy'lek closed his eyes and pressed into Telev’s chest, fisting his fingers into his shirt and letting out a low breath. Telev wrapped his arms around him and held him as Thy'lek slept through the night.

**~*~**

Telev held Shran’s hand as he led him down the narrow tunnel. Shran was docile under his hands, stumbling from his mental and physical exhaustion. Telev refused to think about how much Shran had suffered in the past few months, he would only become enraged, and right now, this was not about that. It was not about his anger, it was not about the Vulcans or the Humans or even his own people’s cruelty. It was about Shran.

They reached the cave, deep in the ground and Telev turned to Shran, half holding him up with an arm around his middle.

‘I know your mind is a mess right now,’ he said, ‘But I once asked you what you would do if I gave you a star. Do you remember what you told me?’

Shran did not answer, but Telev was not surprised. Since Shran had been rescued, he had not spoken to anyone.

Telev fumbled with the bag on his shoulder and opened it, taking out an item that was really too big for one handed holding, but he would not let Shran go. He shook the item and the item’s wrapping fell away, revealing a brightly glowing crystal. Its light was so bright it was almost blinding. The light fell on Shran’s gaunt face and he looked down at the crystal. Telev waited, willing Shran to remember, to take the crystal.

Shran did not move for so long that Telev was just about to give up when his hand lifted, still shaky from the torture and starvation he had suffered. But his grip steadied as he touched the crystal and took it into his hands. The wrapping fell away completely and the light filled the cave. Shran lifted his eyes and looked around the diamond cave. The crystal’s light was indeed breaking into all the colours, and then merging back together.

Telev held his breath as Shran stepped deeper into the cave with the crystal and set it on a large flat topped stalagmite, then stepped back. His brown eyes, old, worn and broken, took in the colours all around him and then he looked at Telev and held out his hand. Telev stepped closer and held open the bag, letting Shran see what was inside. Shran reached in and pulled out the fur blanket. He laid it down on the floor and stayed crouched there, contemplating it. Telev licked his lips and knelt down slowly next to him.

‘I’m not expecting you to want to have sex with me… I’m not sure you even trust me anymore. But I thought… when you told me this is what you would do if I gave you a star… it was the moment I realised that I wanted to look after you as much as you looked after me.’

Shran turned his head to stare at him and Telev swallowed, feeling close to weeping.

‘I just wanted… to show you something beautiful.’

Shran stared at him hard, and Telev could not tell if he was furious, scared or careless. His eyes were unreadable to him for the first time in their lives.

Shran looked back at the blanket. Then he spoke, voice hoarse and soft.

‘Then you had better lie on your back.’

Telev felt himself shiver for a reason he could not place, but he set the bag aside and lay down on his back on the blanket. He looked at Shran, but Shran touched his chin with one chilly finger and tilted his head back, so he was looking at the roof of the cave. Time seemed to standstill and Telev could barely bring himself to breathe as he waited for Shran to do something, anything.

Then Shran’s finger left his chin and the hoarse voice barely reached him,

‘Something beautiful… yes you are.’

Telev bit his lower lip to keep from screaming. He heard and felt Shran move and lifted his head to see him sitting hunched over with his back to Telev. Telev sat up and rested his hands on Shran’s shoulders and leaned over him to see the pain etched into his face.

‘Shran… you once judged me by my eyes. Do it again and trust what you see.’

The heavy sigh seemed to crumble Shran’s body, making him appear even smaller. He lifted his head like it weighed more than a sun, and looked into Telev’s face. Telev forced himself not to push his love forward, he opened himself to Shran’s judgement. Shran’s antennae reached forward and came close together, as his eyes narrowed and he searched Telev’s.

Finally Shran sighed and closed his eyes.

‘I just want to sleep.’

Telev’s disappointment nearly clouded his mind to the fact that Shran was leaning towards him, and it vanished as he realised Shran was asking him to hold him.

‘Then sleep. I’ll look after you.’

Shran opened his eyes again and Telev wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close. They lay down on the fur blanket and Shran rested his head on Telev’s chest, fisting his hand in Telev’s shirt. He let out a heavy sigh and then slipped away into an exhausted sleep. Telev wrapped his arms around him.

He slept through the night.

**Author's Note:**

> The second part is something that might happen say… four or five years after ‘Terra Prime’ happened, if Shran went to work on Enterprise, but didn’t bond with Telev, Sarona or Jhamel. It’s probably the most heavily tied to Loyalties out of all my prompt-fics, though I try to tie each in, this one is probably the most direct.
> 
> Come and chat with me over at my [tumblr](https://not-rude-ginger.tumblr.com/)


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